Photo by COUCOU photography
(HOLMDEL, NJ) -- Layonne Holmes brings her rich, soulful voice to the outdoor deck at Bell Works on two summer evenings. On Sunday, July 23, she helms The Motor City Revue, the group she co-founded in 2011. She returns on Sunday, August 13 for Soul Celebration alongside powerhouse vocalists JaQuita May and Khadijah Mohammed.
“I love performing at Bell Works,” said Holmes, who has shared the stage with Bruce Springsteen, Darlene Love, Jon Bon Jovi, Phoebe Snow, Southside Johnny, Gary U.S. Bonds, Ben E. King and Leslie Gore. “It’s such a fluid space and a beautiful setting. I love the open air feeling.”
The Motor City Revue is a 12-piece band covering popular and rare Motown and Stax hits, plus rock and soul classics. Although there are many bands that cover Motown tunes, few strive to match the vocal harmonies and instrumental mix that distinguished the original recordings.
“I always tell people that Motown is everybody’s music,” said Holmes. “Everyone, young and old, has some tune that speaks to them or evokes a certain memory. It’s music you can dance to and have a good time.”
The performance will showcase songs from Motown’s beginnings and through to the later years by artists including Smokey Robinson, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5.
“We always do The Temptations - Just My Imagination, Get Ready and I’m Losing You,” said Holmes. “We’ve also added a nice Supremes medley, which we haven’t done before, and we have a Four Tops medley featuring our new singer, Malcolm McDonald. He has a great voice for it.”
Soul Celebration is a bit different. It’s an homage to the R&B songs and singers that have touched our lives from the ‘70s to the present, with both solo and ensemble versions of songs made famous by the likes of Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight.
“I’m really looking forward to performing with JaQuita and Khadijah,” said Holmes. “Every time we sing together, we keep getting more ideas. I hope people will come and enjoy this performance of great harmonies. We work hard to do this music the justice it deserves.”
General admission tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door. The concerts will be held on the outdoor deck at Bell Works, 101 Crawfords Corner Road in Holmdel, and will be moved inside in case of rain. Tickets are available by calling the Axelrod Performing Arts Center at 732-531-9106, ext. 14, or visiting www.axelrodartscenter.com. Tickets are NOT available at Bell Works.
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